Radical feminists found a way to express their female masochism in a love life that was more consonant with their personal and political ideology. “Lesbianism even came to be regarded as the quintessence of feminism . . . [it] implied that a woman could live without a man if she wanted to and still feel like a successful person. It suggested that . . . a woman should want to work both to support herself and change society. It emphasized the importance of women loving and respecting themselves and other women,” (Faderman
Radical feminists found a way to express their female masochism in a love life that was more consonant with their personal and political ideology. “Lesbianism even came to be regarded as the quintessence of feminism . . . [it] implied that a woman could live without a man if she wanted to and still feel like a successful person. It suggested that . . . a woman should want to work both to support herself and change society. It emphasized the importance of women loving and respecting themselves and other women,” (Faderman